Support FAQ for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

Overview

Having trouble with Age of Empires: Definitive Edition? Not to worry! We’ve collected a list of issues and solutions here to help you get back to the game! To have the best experience possible, follow the tips in this guide. There are three primary categories of tips:

Common Issues Troubleshooting

I can’t Download/Install/Launch the game!

Some users are having trouble downloading or installing Age of Empires DE, or having the app crash immediately upon either launching the app or beginning a game. If you’re seeing any of these issues, please refer to your specific issue below and follow the listed steps. If the listed steps don’t work, refer to the instructions below to report your issue to us for further investigation.

The app won’t download, or won’t install after downloading.

Restart the Microsoft Store app.

If you can’t download or install, this is the first thing to try. If the download stops partway through, you may need to restart the app again.

Check system requirements.

Ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements to run the game, including your version of Windows 10.

Windows Insiders: Some users on pre-release or Insider versions of Windows may experience issues with Age of Empires DE. We are looking into resolutions for this and will update when we have a recommendation.

If you preordered the game, check that your purchase was not refunded.

Some users who preordered Age of Empires: Definitive Edition had their preorders cancelled and refunded as part of an issue resolution in late 2017. If you preordered the game, check that the preorder is still in effect!

Select “Sign in” in the top righthand corner and complete sign in with the account you’d like to view.

Click on the profile that now appears in the top righthand corner and select “Order History”.

Change the “From” date to “Past year”. You may also need to filter by “Show Returned/Refunded” if you’ve purchased a large number of offers within the last year.

If your preorder was refunded, you must re-purchase the game before you’re able to play.

The app crashes and sends me to the Microsoft Store. (Error 0x803F8001)

In many cases, the process of installing a different app from the Microsoft Store may resolve the underlying issues preventing Age of Empires DE from launching. This helps many users who are seeing the 0x803F8001 error.

Install any free app from the Microsoft Store.

Open the Microsoft Store app, and click on the profile picture in the top right corner.

If you have multiple accounts signed in, sign out of all accounts except the email account linked to the purchase of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

Next, in the Microsoft Store download and install any free app (such as Age of Empires Castle Siege or Microsoft Ultimate Word Games).

Once installation is complete, navigate to the Microsoft Store “Library” page and launch Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

The app crashes soon after launch, or when trying to start a game.

There are several potential solutions to this issue. Please try the following steps in order:

Check system requirements.

A significant number of crashes at launch are due to the game being launched on a PC that does not meet the minimum system requirements. Ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements to run the game, including your version of Windows 10.

Windows Insiders: Some users on pre-release or Insider versions of Windows may experience issues with Age of Empires DE. We are looking into resolutions for this and will update when we have a recommendation.

Update your display drivers.

Many crashes have been traced to outdated display drivers. Update your drivers to the latest version. You can find updates here.

Check your antivirus settings.

Some antivirus programs may prevent the game from launching. Check your antivirus settings to make sure Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is not being blocked.

Add the game to any whitelist feature in your antivirus program. (Note: some antivirus programs may remove Age DE from the whitelist when you update the game. Double check that the game is still on your whitelist!)

Here are a few particular antivirus programs with known conflicts, and resolution steps for each:

Some users have been able to avoid problems by logging in to their device using a Microsoft account. If you are on a local account on your device, try switching to a MS account as workaround.

You can add your Microsoft account as an additional account through Windows Start -> Settings -> Accounts -> Family and Other People. Add it as a standard user, and make sure you verify your account after signing in for the first time on your device. To do this go to Windows Start -> Settings -> Accounts -> Your info and follow the verification procedure.

Now enter the store and download the game.

Uninstall and reinstall Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

If you were able to install, but are having trouble with crashes, please reinstall the app using these instructions.

This has solved the issue for many affected users, particularly those experiencing issues after having pre-ordered the game.

Change to the English (US) keyboard layout on Windows 10 and install the English (US) pack.

Adding the English (US) keyboard layout has resolved issues for users in some areas. You can find instructions here.

If this doesn’t solve your problem, install the English (US) pack by following the instructions here.

Reset the app [Note: Resetting an app is only available in Windows 10 versions 1607 or later]:

Type “Apps & Features” into the Search Bar and select it.

Locate and select Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, then select Advanced Options.

Click Reset.

Move the app to a different drive. For some users who have experienced the crash on startup, it may be due to low disk space on the drive where the game is installed. This can be solved by either freeing up some space on that drive to allow the more virtual memory to be used or by moving your game to a different drive that has more space. To move your game to a different drive, follow these steps:

If the issue persists after the above solutions, we need more information to be able to help. Please see below under “None of this worked/My question isn’t answered here!” and follow the steps listed there.

I can launch the game, but I just see “You must sign in to continue” or “Can’t sync with Xbox Live” on the title screen.

Some users with account problems have had success by logging in to the Xbox Live service through a different app prior to launching Age of Empires DE. Try the following steps in order:

Make sure you are connected to the internet.

Sign in to your Xbox Live account via the Xbox app.

Download and install the Xbox app from the Microsoft Store.

Sign out of all other Microsoft accounts.

Log in to the Xbox app using your Xbox Live credentials.

If you don’t have a free Xbox live account, you can create one at account.xbox.com. Make sure to link your new Xbox Live account to the Microsoft account you used to purchase Age of Empires DE.

Other users have had success running SFC and DISM commands. System File Checker is a Windows utility that allow user to scan for and restore corruptions in Windows system files. Follow these steps for instructions:

If the issue persists after the above solutions, we need more information to be able to help. Please see below under “None of this worked/My question isn’t answered here!” and follow the steps listed there.

Other Common Issues

I have issues when minimizing the game!

Make sure that you have allowed apps to run in the background. To do this, search for “Background Apps” in your Windows 10 Settings. Ensure that “Let apps run in the background” is On, and that Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is On.

The game keeps reading aloud everything I do!

In some rare instances, the Accessibility options are enabled by default when starting the game. But don’t worry, it’s easy to fix!

From the main screen, go to Options -> Settings and un-check the three boxes under Accessibility, and click the OK button to save your settings.

I can’t click the Multiplayer button!

Make sure you’re signed in only on this machine. If you have signed in to any other PC’s with the same account lately, ensure you’ve signed out everywhere else.

Launch the Xbox App prior to launching the game, and ensure that your profile signs into Xbox Live without issue. If you can’t sign in to Xbox Live, contact Xbox Live support.

Why can’t I play Age of Empires: Definitive Edition offline?

You can! Just follow the steps from the link below and you should be all set to go!

My game keeps lagging or crashing during gameplay!

Although Age of Empires DE runs fine on any PC that meets the minimum requirements, not all game settings are suited for every machine. If you’re having performance issues, try the following steps in order. You can find more information below, under “Maximizing Age of Empires Definitive Edition Experiences.”

Close Background Apps: If your system does meet minimum requirements, you may have too many apps running in the background. Close all other apps before launching Age of Empires DE to ensure your system can successfully run the game.

Reduce the population cap: High-population games can cause performance issues on some machines. Try a game at the default population cap of 50; if that runs smoothly, you may experiment with higher numbers.

Reduce the number of players in your game: Games with a higher number of players naturally have a higher population, and each human player you add contributes lag to the P2P connection. Try a 1v1 game against an AI, then gradually increase the number of AI and/or human players until you get a sense for what your PC/internet connection can handle.

Set your region when creating a multiplayer lobby. Distance might make the heart grow fonder, but it doesn’t do great things for your P2P connections!

Remember to check the colored bars in your multiplayer lobby to see who’s having trouble connecting with other players, and have the host click “run as a dedicated server” if everyone has a good connection to the host but not to each other.

None of this worked/My question isn’t answered here!

If none of the solutions suggested above resolved your issue, we want to hear from you! You can help us fix the issue for everyone by providing more information. Please follow the steps below in order:

How to report your issue to the Age of Empires DE team:

Report your issue on the Windows Feedback Hub (or upvote if the issue has been reported already).

Launch the Windows Feedback Hub

Hit Win+F to open the feedback hub, or type “Feedback” in your Windows 10 task bar and click on “Feedback Hub”

If you have an error code or bug description, type it into the “search feedback” box to see if the problem already exists/is known.

If the problem IS known, we’re already working on it! Click on the UPVOTE button; this helps us figure out how many people are having the same problem.

If the problem is NOT known, click on “Add new feedback”, and fill out the requested information accordingly.

When filing feedback please place the game title within the “Summarize your issue” field, and steps to reproduce the issue under the “Give us more details” field. This will assist us in locating your feedback.

Thank you for taking the time to help improve Age of Empires DE for everyone.

Maximizing Windows 10 Experiences

To get the most out of your Windows 10 experience, ensure your Windows 10 machine is up to date and your Xbox Live account is ready for use.

Updating Windows 10

Click on the “Type here to search” Cortana field in your Windows taskbar

Make sure you are signed into your Windows 10 device with the account you want to purchase the game with. To check this, launch the Store app and select the photo icon at the top-right corner. If this isn’t your account, you’ll need to sign out and sign in with the correct account.

Within the Store app, search for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.
Alternatively, you can go to this page. Make sure that you’re signed in with the correct account before continuing.

Select the Buy button and follow the steps to complete your purchase.

The Xbox app on Windows 10 allows you to integrate your Xbox account & settings while playing Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. To launch the Xbox app:

Maximizing Age of Empires: Definitive Edition Experiences

Before starting Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, close out all other applications. This will help ensure the best experience for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

Network Usage

Make sure your internet is prepared for a multiplayer experience. Your PC will be communicating with several others throughout the world so ensure that you have your networking arranged to maximize your access to the internet.

Keep other devices accessing the same network port to a minimum

Close other programs accessing the internet (Example: Web browsers, other game clients, etc.)

To get the best experience with Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, make sure to open or forward these ports on your firewall or network hardware:

Port 3478 (UDP & TCP)

Port 5222 (UDP & TCP)

These steps will help you minimize your network lag and help your multiplayer experience. There is also the option of “Host as Dedicated Server” in the in-game multiplayer options that will help minimize issues if you encounter them.

New Features

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition offers many major quality-of-life improvements over the original. Make sure you’re taking full advantage of the modernized gameplay! There are dozens of improvements, but here are some highlights:

Right-click on exhausted farms to reseed them!

Hold A while right-clicking to make your selected units attack-move!

Use the Idle Villagers button to keep your villagers working and your economy booming!

Multiplayer Lobbies

When in a multiplayer lobby, users will see a column for “ping.” This column indicates the quality of the internet connection to the host and the other users in a multiplayer lobby:

Green indicates a strong connection.

Yellow indicates an adequate connection.

Red indicates a connection which may negatively impact gameplay.

If all users have good connections to the host but not great connections with each other, the host has the option to run as a dedicate server by checking the “Host as Dedicated Server” checkbox. Note that if this box is checked and the host quits mid-game, the game will end for all players.